What should have been a joyful Hanukkah evening at Bondi Beach quickly descended into horror. In an instant, laughter, music, and candlelight were replaced by chaos, screams, and gunfire. Families fled, children cried, and the iconic seaside became the scene of a tragedy that has shocked Australia and the world.
Authorities confirmed that 16 people were killed—including one of the attackers—and 42 others were wounded. Among the victims were 10-year-old Matilda and 87-year-old Holocaust survivor Alexander Kleytman.
Officials have described the incident as a deliberate act of antisemitic terrorism, a dark and targeted assault on a community gathering.
The victims’ ages ranged from a young child to an elderly survivor of history’s darkest chapter, illustrating the indiscriminate nature of the attack. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the violence as “an act of pure evil,” noting that Bondi Beach, typically a symbol of community and joy, has been forever scarred by the tragedy.
Scenes of Chaos and Heroism
Witnesses described panic and fear as families fled the beach, debris scattered in the sand, and gunfire echoed across the shoreline. Arsen Ostrovsky, a human rights lawyer recently relocated from Israel, narrowly survived after being grazed in the head. “Bodies were strewn everywhere,” he recalled. “I never thought such a thing could happen here in Australia.”
Among the youngest victims, 10-year-old Matilda died at a Sydney hospital. Her family shared their grief on social media, mourning the loss of a bright and joyful child whose presence had touched her school and community.
Alexander Kleytman, a Holocaust survivor, was also killed while shielding his wife, Larisa, from the attackers.
Larisa recounted how Alexander instinctively moved to protect her, sacrificing his own life in a final act of devotion. The Kleytmans, who had immigrated to Australia from Ukraine after surviving Siberian exile as children, had built a life marked by resilience and hope—until that tragic day.
The Attackers and Motive
Authorities identified the attackers as 50-year-old Sajid Akram, killed at the scene, and
